Tenix stands by lock-out

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Australia's main supplier of military hardware was refusing today to back down from its lock-out of 300 workers in north-east Victoria.

Tenix Australia - which supplies clothing, helmets, rations, boots and flak jackets to Australian troops - last week locked the workers out of their Wodonga workplace following a breakdown in enterprise negotiations.

Unionists working at Tenix - who belong to the National Union of Workers (NUW) and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) - want a 15 per cent pay rise over three years but the company has offered 12.85 per cent.

The unions say senior Australian Defence Force personnel are concerned about the workers' lock out.

''There is a significant amount of concern amongst senior figures in the military brass about the way that this matter has been handled by Tenix,'' said NUW Victorian secretary Martin Pakula.

But the ADF said today it had discussed the issue with Tenix and was confident all supply and repair transactions in support of ADF operations would be ''progressed''.

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''The strike poses no threat to the operational capability to the ADF,'' an ADF spokesman said.

Mr Pakula said the union had assured the ADF that workers would step in to ensure Australian military personnel were not put at risk.

''If any situations arose which were urgent or life-threatening, our members would ensure that the work would get done,'' Mr Pakula said.

A Tenix spokesman today said the lock out would continue until the union came forward with a ''substantive proposal''.

He said the company was concerned at ongoing industrial action over the wage row.

''There have been daily stoppages by different sections over three days so far with several others foreshadowed,'' he said.

''There needs to be a resolution of the issues - that's what we're seeking.''

Mr Pakula said the union had made a substantive proposal and had always been willing to negotiate.

He accused Tenix of using bullying tactics and of threatening the lock out could go on for a month.

''We thought it was quite extraordinary, given that the parties were that close, that they would take the step of locking people out for a month,'' Mr Pakula said.